


Bad Days

by NotEvenCloseToStraight



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Cute, Fluff and Feels, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Safe Places, Secret Crush, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, tumblr prompt fill, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 16:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight
Summary: Based on These Prompts from My Ask Box :Prompt: Bucky likes Tony, but is too scared to tell him. What he doesn't know is that every time he has a "winter soldier" moment, he is constantly protecting tony and not letting anyone near him, so tony already knows that Bucky likes him ("genius, remember?"). Bucky finally gets up the courage to talk to Tony, only for Tony to tell him what's been going on and he's been waiting for Bucky to be comfortable enough to actually tell him. Happy ending!I've been on a winter soldier binge (thanks to the alpha WS you did!!) and I just love the thought of Ws being triggered in the tower and while everyone is creating a perimeter etc Tony walks in sleep deprived and due to how adorable he looks Ws aggressively cuddles and protects this sleepy cuteness!********A quick fic of Tony enjoying how beefy Bucky is*********Bucky panicking bc he can feel the WS creeping in & the team being shocked at how the WS in basically in love with Tony & how he is protective of him





	Bad Days

Some days were just harder than others.

It was to be expected after all, a tower full of heroes with pasts that varied from something in the forties to that of a professional killer and everything in between.

So everyone had bad days. Natasha went from borderline scary to full on terrifying. Clints pranks went from mostly harmless to almost deadly as he worked out whatever was on his mind. Steve’s bad days were more manageable, usually holing himself up in his room to draw. Bruce of course... he had a Hulk proof room at the bottom of the Tower where he could go if he started feeling...green.

Honestly, out of everyone, TONY was the one to have the worst bad days. He would lock himself in the lab for days at a time, refuse to eat and basically self destruct until JARVIS got tired of it and called for one of the Avengers (usually Steve) to bodily remove Tony from the lab and force him to face the real world.

So yeah, some days were just hard, and the team dealt with them accordingly. Besides, its not like any one of them was going to hurt any of the other ones.

Or at least, that had never been a concern until Bucky moved in.

It was fine, usually. Sure Bucky was a little cranky, and if Sam Wilson got too close they fought like siblings, and Natasha and Bucky this weird animosity thing going on... but it was fine usually.

And for whatever reason, Tony had taken a special interest in Bucky, bringing him down to the lab to work on his arm for hours at a time. They bonded in the near silence of the lab, Tony only asking questions that had to be asked, Bucky answering as best he could. If anyone noticed that Tony seemed to smile more when Bucky was around, or that Bucky seemed to always be around if Tony was around... well no one said anything.

It was fine...usually.

Until Bucky had a bad day. Because Bucky’s bad days triggered his Winter Soldier, and that was never a good thing.

The first time Bucky was triggered, really triggered, no one really knew what had happened.

Maybe it was Natashas gilb comment about her last mission, maybe it was Clint shooting finger guns at Cap after a snarky quip, maybe Sam finally crossed the line with his teasing. No one knew, but it happened regardless.

To the team's credit, the moment they realized what was happening, they jumped into defensive mode-- definitely not OFFENSIVE, because no one was going to win that fight. They created a perimeter to keep the Soldier in the common area, JARVIS locked down the building as well as he could, and things were tense as Steve tried to talk to the Soldier, hands up peacefully as he stared into pale blue eyes that did not recognize him anymore.

The Soldier had his gun drawn, his left arm up and out defensively, eyes darting around wildly trying to map escape routes and possible hostiles and then---

\---then the elevator door opened and Tony walked right into the fray, rubbing at his eyes because god  _ damn it  _ he was tired after a two day marathon in the lab.

“Tony!” Natasha hissed to catch his attention and divert him, but nothing much could divert sleepy Tony from a warm blanket and soft couch, so he just kept right on going.

“Move.” Tony mumbled and shoved at a shocked Steve, who acted without thinking and grabbed Tonys arm to stop him. 

Steve was flying backwards and smacking into the wall before he could even blink, and all he and the rest of the team could do was stare at a furious Winter Soldier, who was standing protectively in front of Tony, damn near snarling, his weapon pointed firmly at Steve, who he seemed to think posed the biggest threat. 

Tony froze instantly, his eyes wide, but not saying anything, and he barely managed to hide his shock when the Soldier turned right around and picked him up, cradling him close to his chest for the few steps it took to get to the couch. 

He held Tony easily in his left arm, reaching for a blanket with his right and wrapped it around Tony several times before setting him down, a pillow beneath his head. 

Then the Soldier sat on the floor with his head leaned back against the Tony-burrito, his gun resting on his thigh, eyes closing enough to look relax, but not enough to fool anyone into thinking that he actually  _ was  _ relaxed. 

“I think we should all just...back away.” Clint said quietly and held up a hand to silence Steve when he started to protest. “No really. If the Soldier was going to hurt Tony he would have done it right away instead of swaddling him and giving him a pillow. We need to back away. Slow and easy.” 

One by one, some slower than others, the team started backing down, hands up so the Soldier wouldn't get trigger happy. 

Once the room was empty, Tony very calmly asked JARVIS to lock the doors and play some calming music while he slept. 

And then he just… slept. Completely safe (if not completely confused) with the Soldier’s head resting against his knees. 

*******************

*******************

Tony didn't say anything to Bucky about it as they sat in the lab together the next night. It had taken most of the previous day for the Soldier to withdraw, and when Bucky had come back to himself he hadn't been exactly sure why he was in the room with Tony, but Tony had just shrugged and changed the subject. 

And now they sat together, Tony carefully cleaning and filing down a few pieces of Bucky's arm that just didn't slot together right, and not talking. Tony enjoyed having his hands on the cool metal, and Bucky enjoyed the closeness. 

Words weren't needed. 

But Bucky was glancing shyly up at Tony and Tony was looking away just as shyly, so maybe Bucky remembered a little more than he was saying. 

But Tony wasn't going to bring it up if Bucky wasn't. 

***************

***************

“Stop staring.” Natasha scolded lightly and Tony shook his head, turning away quickly. 

“Not staring.” 

“Yes you are.” she rolled her eyes. “Why don't you just  _ talk  _ to him?”

“What am I supposed to say? Hey Buck, I know you are Caps best friend and were basically a prisoner of war for the last seventy years, but that's fine.  Also, I'm aware you have the occasional flashback where you basically bundle me up and carry me away and don't let anyone come near me for hours, and then don't remember any of it when you come back to yourself. But hey, I love those thick thighs of yours, and the way I could probably lay all the way across your chest and not touch your shoulders. Also, every time you pick something up I cream my pants a little because your arms are about the sexiest thing I've ever seen. So hey, lets get coffee sometime?” 

Natasha had her forehead down on the table, shoulders shaking as she tried to hold in her laughter. “No Tony. Oh my god no. Not supposed to say that. What the hell?”

“Then what am I supposed to say?” Tony was laughing with her. “Honestly. What am I supposed to say to him. I don't even know how he feels about me.”

“Tony. You said it yourself. Every time he has a flashback, the Soldier is carrying you away to safety. He is protecting you, and really kind of aggressive about it. And everyone sees the way you two don't look at each other.” 

“The way we don't--”

“Yeah. He will look at you, but you won't look at him and then you guys switch. It's equal parts hilarious and stupid.” 

“I don't know.” Tony shook his head a little sadly, rubbing over his arc reactor. “I mean, I just don't think--”

“Take a chance.” Natasha smiled gently. “What's the worst that could---”

_ Bang! _

Something in the kitchen fell with a loud clatter, and Clint basically screamed in fright because he had been dozing at the table. Steve was laughing because Sam had only dropped a couple of pans, and Tony and Natasha exchanged amused looks---

Until Bucky went from dead asleep on the couch, to snatching Tony off the chair and bolting from the room with him, his Soldier only knowing to get Tony away from the danger and to find a safe spot. 

The “safe spot” turned out to be a utility closet and the Soldier slammed the door shut, wedging everything he could under the door knob before settling back into the farthest corner, Tony sat firmly on his lap. 

Tony, for once, kept his mouth shut about the whole situation, and just leaned against the Soldiers chest, trying to get comfortable because who knew how long it was going to be before Bucky came back. 

*********************

*********************

“Tony.” Bucky's voice broke the silence almost an hour later. “Why are we in a closet?”

“Hey Buck, Glad you’re back with us.” 

“Why are we in a closet and um… you’re sitting on my lap.”

“Yeah.” Tony sighed and scratched his fingers through his goatee, leaning away to try and give Bucky a little space. “About that. Turns out that anytime your Soldier is triggered, you basically grab me and bolt from the room and keep me safe until… until  _ you  _ come back.” 

Bucky was quiet for a long time. “So the other day. When you and I ended up in the hulk room?”

“Yeah. Uh, something in the lab exploded. You snatched me and locked us in the hulk room.”

“How long.”

“Six hours, that time.” 

“And… we woke up in my bed?”

“Yep. Something about a movie and Steve felt really bad for picking it. You just walked right into my bedroom and picked me up and carried me to yours.”

“And you stayed?”

“Well...yeah. I mean, you werent going to let me go. I was surprised that you even slept at all, but when you woke up you were… _you_. So no harm no foul.” 

“Tony. I'm really sorry. I can't tell what triggers me, or what happens when I do and--”

“It's fine.”

“It's really not.” Bucky stated and started to push Tony from his lap. “I am so sorry, Tony, I have no idea why the Soldier thinks--”

“I like it, though.” Tony didn't budge, pushing at Bucky's shoulders to keep him sitting down. “I um, I like that whenever there’s danger you come running to save me.”

“Oh. Uh, _why_?”

“Isnt that obvious?” Tony grinned and snuggled closer, pressing his face to Bucky's neck and sighing. “I like you. Don't you like me?” 

“I do.” Bucky confessed. “I've been trying to figure out how to tell you but--”

“Apparently the Soldier likes me, so somewhere between rescue number one and rescue number thirteen I figured that maybe  _ you  _ liked me too.”

“I sure do, Tony.” Bucky's voice softened, deepened, and Tony shivered. “You cold?”

“Nope.” Tony shook his head quickly. “This is fine. Just you know… you sounded sexy just then.” 

“Well maybe we should  _ not  _ do this in a closet?”

“I don't know.” Tony shrugged. “I'm fine pretending that it's gonna take a few more hours before you let me go.”

“A few more hours?” Bucky asked curiously, and Tony started shifted, twisting on his lap until he was straddling those thick thighs he loved so much. 

“I would think a few more hours, right?” Tony rocked into him suggestively. “We can kiss for that long?”

Bucky growled, legitimately  _ growled _ , and slid his left arm around Tony's waist, holding him tight. 

“Sure thing, sweet thing.” 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Bad Days (Podfic)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12307806) by [Littlecat1231](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlecat1231/pseuds/Littlecat1231), [NotEvenCloseToStraight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight)




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